System and method for diagnosing and treating disease

ABSTRACT

A method and system for diagnosing and treating infection or disease, in which an individual takes a photograph of an infected or diseased area of a body using a camera connected to a microprocessor. The photograph is sent to a diagnosing center having a server with a second microprocessor and a database of photographs correlated with different diseases and infections. The second microprocessor scans the image received from the camera and compares it to the photographs in the database. If a match is found, the second microprocessor then notes the disease or bacteria corresponding to the matching photograph. The second microprocessor then searches an additional database correslated to the match, to further refine the diagnosis. The second microprocessor then searches the second database for a treatment corresponding to the identified disease or bacteria. Once a treatment is identified, information regarding this treatment is automatically sent to the individual&#39;s microprocessor.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional of 61/700,350 filed Sep. 13, 2012.This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/529,191, filed on Jun. 21, 2012, which is acontinuation-in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/438,003,filed on Apr. 3, 2012, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 61/612,575 filed on Mar. 19, 2012. U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/529,191 also claims priority under 35U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 61/650,401 and61/650,429, both filed on May 22, 2012. The disclosures of all of theseapplications are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system and method for diagnosingdisease, such as cancer or bacterial infection. The invention relates toa method where an individual takes a high resolution photograph of awound or diseased area of the body using a camera connected to anendoscope, or via an X-ray or MRI, sends the photograph to a computerwhere it is magnified and enhanced, and software in the computer thensearches a database containing a library of diseases to find a match.Once a match has been found, the software can search a more specializeddatabase pertaining to the disease that has been identified, and cansend a diagnosis to a doctor or to an individual for treating thedisease or infection. The entire process takes place in real time, sothat the doctor can obtain the diagnosis during the procedure or whilethe patient is still in the office or hospital.

2. The Prior Art

Photographic databases of diseased cells and bacteria are in use todayto help doctors and scientists diagnose illness and infection. In mostsituations, the scientist or laboratory worker places the cells on aslide under a microscope and takes a photograph of the cells undermagnification. These cells can then be compared to the variousphotographs of similar cells in the database to help diagnose theillness. On example of this can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,139 toJain et al., the disclosure of which is herein incorporated byreference. Jain at al. describes a system for matching a photograph ofcells taken under a microscope with photographs in a database.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,756,309 to Gholap et al., the disclosure of which isherein incorporated by reference, also describes a system for indexingand matching medical images in a database.

However, neither of these references teach a method in which in vivoinjuries or illnesses can be quickly and remotely diagnosed and treated,without the use of slides and microscopes.

United States Patent Application Serial No. 2007/0015989 to Desaidiscusses connecting a camera of an endoscope to a computer having adatabase of photos to match to the images on the endoscope to assist thephysician in diagnosing disease. However, Desai refers to only a singledatabase installed on the computer, and does not allow for enhancementor enlargement of the image to allow for better diagnoses.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a system andmethod for diagnosing illness or infection in real time.

The present invention comprises a method and system for diagnosing andtreating infection or disease, in which an individual takes a photographof an infected or diseased area of a body using a high definition cameraconnected to a microprocessor and communication device. The camera couldbe incorporated into a smartphone or into a medical instrument such anendoscope, or could be an X-ray machine, MRI machine or other type ofimaging apparatus. The camera or imaging apparatus is equipped to takevery high resolution images that can be enlarged to a degree whereindividual cells and bacteria can be discerned. The image is then sentto a computer having a microprocessor equipped with image enhancingsoftware. The software can enlarge and enhance the image to the pointwhere individual cells, bacteria or other microscopic structures can beseen. The image is preferably enhanced up to 1000× to achieve therequired degree of detail. The software can also layer photographs toenhance their resolution when enlarged. The software could also createvirtual staining on the image, to enhance its resolution. The softwarecould also be equipped to create a three-dimensional image of a bodypart as well.

The enhanced image is then scanned and compared to an initial databasein the computer or accessible by the computer, which then categorizesthe image based on the medical condition shown, for example, skincancer, bacterial infection, etc. Additional software in the computerthen searches for a database related to the category shown, and conductsa search of images in the second database that match the image obtainedfrom the camera or imaging apparatus. The second database could beinstalled on the computer, or accessible over the internet.

To cut down on the amount of searching required, the user can alsospecify a particular type of disease or enter other pertinent data, tonarrower the search to a particular group of diseases or injuries. If nomatch is found in the initial database, the microprocessor can thenprompt the physician to enter more detailed information, such as feveror other symptoms, to help narrow down the field.

If a match is found in the second database, the microprocessor thennotes the disease or bacteria corresponding to the matching photographand communicates this to the physician by displaying the matchingphotographs and identification data on a display device connected thecomputer. The display device could be a computer monitor or could beholographic. The communication could also be verbal, via computergenerated voice instructions. If an endoscope is being used, the displaycould also be projected onto the lens of the scope or onto glasses wornby the physician, so that the physician does not have to even look upfrom the scope to obtain the information. Any suitable means ofdisplaying or conveying the information could be used.

The present invention provides an instantaneous method for diagnosingand injury, illness and infection. The present invention enhances amedical procedure, for example endoscopy, by immediately informing thephysician about the type of disease located, and allows the physician tocontinue scanning until all diseased areas have been located andexcised.

To assist in identification of the disease, a dye can be applied to theinfected or diseased area prior to photographing it. Alternatively, thedye could be applied via computer enhancement of the image. In addition,a video could also be taken of the infected or diseased area. The videowould show the behavior of the bacteria or microorganisms in the wound.For example, if the specific pathogen cannot be seen, the video couldshow the rapid deterioration of the cells, thus indicating a certaintype of bacterial or viral infection. The database could also containvideo recordings of similar infections for comparison as well.

In another embodiment, an attachment is added to the endoscope so that alayer of cells is trapped between the attachment and the light source ofthe endoscope. This creates a slide-like appearance that enhances thevisual image taken by the camera. Thus, an instant slide is created,saving time and money in the diagnosis of disease.

The software connected to the microprocessor could also be equipped tonotify various government and health agencies if certain types ofdiseases have been identified.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that thedrawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition ofthe limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similarelements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic drawing of the system according to theinvention in use for treating a patient;

FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of the method steps according to theinvention;

FIG. 3 shows a drawing of a treatment plan according to one embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 4 shows the system according to the invention used with anendoscope;

FIG. 5 shows a diagnosis being displayed holographically;

FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the device of FIG. 4 with anextension;

FIG. 7 shows the device of FIG. 6 in use on a patient; and

FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the device of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a patient 1 withan infected wound 2. An individual 3 treating patient 1 has anindividual microprocessor such as a mobile smart phone 4 with a built-incamera 5. Camera 5 is adapted to take very high-resolution photographsthat can be enlarged to show individual cells and/or bacteria. To treatpatient 1, individual 3 takes a photograph of wound 2 using camera 5 inmobile phone 4. The camera 5 could also be connected to a hard-wiredmicroprocessor in a clinical setting. This microprocessor could also beconnected with magnification equipment such as an endoscope, which canmagnify the diseased area prior to taking the photograph. The photographis then sent by the individual via text message or email to a server 6via having a communication device 7, such as a modem. Server 6 isequipped with a microprocessor 8, which can scan the receivedphotograph, and using software installed on server 6, enlarge andenhance the photograph to see the individual cells and bacteria of wound2. Microprocessor 8 then searches initial database 9, which containsphotographs of many different diseases, to find a match to thephotograph sent by individual 3. This search can be conducted with anysuitable visual matching software, such as those discussed in U.S. Pat.Nos. 5,911,139 and 7,756,309, the disclosures of which are hereinincorporated by reference. Once a match has been found, themicroprocessor 8 searches database 19, which is a specialized databasecorrelated to the identification made from database 9. If no match isfound, the system notifies individual 3, and prompts individual 3 forfurther information about the disease being searched. Microprocessor 8can then use this extra information to continue a search in database 9to find the closest match, which is then used to locate the properdatabase 19 for conducting the second search.

If a match is made to a particular disease in database 19, themicroprocessor then searches database 19 for a suitable treatment plan,which correlates with the photograph in database 19 that matches thephotograph sent by individual 3. Once a treatment plan has beenidentified, it is sent via communication device 6 to mobile telephone 4for use in treating patient 1.

In one embodiment, the treatment plan involves exposing the wound 2 to awavelength of light that will kill any bacteria in wound 2. As shown inFIG. 3, microprocessor 8 sends a software application 12 to mobile phone4, which generates such a light beam 11.

FIG. 2 shows the method steps according to one embodiment of theinvention. In step 100, a dye is applied to an infected or diseased areaof the body, to enhance the visual resolution of the infected ordiseased area. In step 110, a photograph is taken of the infected ordiseased area using a smartphone having a built in camera, or using acamera connected to another type of microprocessor, such as a personalcomputer. Instead of or in addition to the photograph, a video showingthe behavior of infected cells could also be taken.

In step 120, the photograph is sent by text message or email to adiagnosing center having a server with a microprocessor and a databaseof photographs correlated with different diseases and infections. Instep 130, the photograph is enlarged and enhanced via software installedon the microprocessor so that individual cells or bacteria can be seenin the enhanced photograph.

In step 140, the enhanced photograph is compared with the photographs inthe database to identify the disease or infection, using visualcomparison software. In step 145, if a disease or infection isidentified, the enhanced photograph is then compared to photographs in asecond, specialized database that is specifically directed to theidentified disease from step 140. If no disease can be identified instep 140, the individual can be asked to provide additional informationabout the disease to be searched in step 146. This information is thenused to look at first database again in an attempt to identify thedisease or infection. Once the disease or infection has been identified,the microprocessor searches the second database for a suggestedtreatment in step 150. In step 160, the microprocessor automaticallysends information regarding the suggested treatment to the individual'smobile phone or microprocessor. The treatment information could also bedisplayed holographically. For example, if the camera is connected to anendoscope, the treatment could be projected onto the lens of theendoscope so that the physician would not need to look up from theprocedure to obtain the necessary information.

FIG. 4 shows how the invention would operate using a camera connected toan endoscope. Endoscope 40 has a shaft 41 connected to a camera 43,which can record video and still images seen through shaft 41. The videoand still images are transmitted to microprocessor 45 via cable 44. Thevideo and still images can also be displayed on display screen 46.Microprocessor 45 is connected to a communication device 47, which canbe a modem. As with the embodiment in FIG. 1, the images obtained bycamera 1 can be compared to an initial database stored inside a databaseconnected to microprocessor 45, and if a match is found, then sent to asecond database, accessible over the internet, for a more refineddiagnosis. Once the final diagnosis has been made, the diagnosis andpossible treatments are sent back to the physician, and can be displayedon display 46, or can be communicated in another manner, such as byvoice or holographically onto an eyepiece or lenses 50 worn by thephysician, such as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows a holographic message51 being projected onto glasses 50, which can be worn by the physicianduring the procedure, so that the physician does not have to look awayfrom the procedure to receive the diagnosis. The holographic message 51could also be projected onto a lens of a microscope, or the endoscope,or even onto a wall or other surface.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, endoscope 40 can have an extension 60attached to its distal end. In use, extension 60 can be inserted intothe tissue of a patient so that a layer of cells 70 lies on top of thetop surface of the extension. This layer can then be illuminated, eitherfrom behind, if the extension is translucent (as shown in FIG. 8), orfrom the front, by the light source 80 of endoscope 40 (as shown in FIG.7). The layer can be the thickness of a single layer of cells. Thus, thecamera 43 takes an image that is essentially a prepared slide forsending to microprocessor 45. Thus, the cells of the tissue beingexamined are more visible and the diagnosis can be made more easily.This procedure also saves the time and expense required in preparationof slides in a laboratory.

Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention havebeen shown and described, it is obvious that many changes andmodifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for diagnosing and treating infection ordisease, comprising: inserting an endoscope into a patient's body, theendoscope having a light source and an extension on a distal endthereof; placing the extension underneath a layer of tissue in thepatient; taking a photograph of said layer of tissue using a cameraconnected to a first microprocessor, the camera being connected to anendoscope; sending the photograph via the first microprocessor to a aserver with a second microprocessor and a first database of photographscorrelated with different diseases and infections, the photographsshowing individual diseased cells or bacteria; enlarging and enhancingthe photograph sent to the server via software so that individual cellsor bacteria can be seen in the enhanced photograph; comparing theenhanced photograph with the photographs in the first database toidentify the disease or infection, the step of comparing beingundertaken by the second microprocessor using visual comparisonsoftware; upon identifying the disease or infection, searching for asecond database that is correlated with the identified disease orinfection, and once said second database is located, comparing thephotograph with photographs in the second database to further identifythe disease or infection; once the disease or infection has beenidentified via the second database, the second microprocessor searchingthe second database for a suggested treatment; and automatically sendinginformation regarding the suggested treatment via the secondmicroprocessor to the first microprocessor.
 2. The method according toclaim 1, further comprising the step of applying a dye to the layer oftissue prior to the step of taking a photograph.
 3. The method accordingto claim 1, further comprising the step of taking a video of the layerof tissue and sending the video to the diagnosing center.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the layer of tissue contains a singlelayer of cells.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein theinformation regarding the suggested treatment comprises a softwareapplication that when opened emits a light in a wavelength that killsbacteria when the light is aimed at an infected area.
 6. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying thesuggested treatment holographically.
 7. The method according to claim 1,further comprising the step of prompting the individual for informationregarding a suspected disease or infection prior to or after the step ofcomparing the enhanced photograph with photographs in the firstdatabase.
 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the photograph isenlarged by a factor of
 1000. 9. The method according to claim 1,wherein the light source illuminates the extension from underneath thelayer of tissue.
 10. A system for diagnosing and treating infection anddisease comprising: an endoscope having a light source for illuminatingtissue, and an extension connected to a distal end of the endoscope, theextension being configured to insert within tissue of patient such thata layer of tissue covers a top surface of the extension and can be seenthrough the endoscope; a camera connected to the endoscope and to amicroprocessor, the camera adapted to take photographs of images seenthrough the endoscope and send said photographs to the microprocessor; aserver having a microprocessor and a searchable database, the databasecontaining a collection of photographs of diseased cells and bacteria, acommunication system connected to the server, said communication systembeing adapted to receive communications containing photographs from anoutside source and send the communications to the server, wherein themicroprocessor is programmed with software that analyzes a photograph ina received communication, enhances and enlarges the photograph, comparesthe photograph to the photographs in the database to find a match, andwhen a match is found, communicates with an outside database correlatedwith the match to further search the outside database for additionalinformation to identify a disease in the photograph, and then searchesfor a treatment plan for a disease associated with the match and sendsthe treatment plan via the communication system to a microprocessor ofthe outside source.
 11. The system according to claim 10, wherein theextension is translucent.
 12. The system according to claim 11, whereinthe light source is adapted to illuminate the extension from underneaththe top surface of the extension, so that light from the light sourceshines through the layer of tissue.